Happy Tuesday! In this morning’s edition of Signals, we explore the myriad of ways in which Social Media and AI are shaping the way we interact with one another and the world around us. From the glaring similarities between engineered dependencies in Appalachian mining towns and AI companies to negative externalities introduced through synthetic intimacy, we investigate how AI shapes our new reality. Meanwhile, SMC reports on major updates related to the New Mexico Meta case and the Kids Online Safety Act. All in all, this edition of Signals is sure to keep you on your toes and in the loop, so let’s jump in!
In last week’s edition of Tomorrow’s Mess, author Casey Mock breaks down what coal company towns and AI cybersecurity threat hype have in common. Mock contends that similar to engineered dependency in Appalachian coal towns, AI companies (like OpenAI and Anthropic) are attempting to construct a new regime of dependency. However, Mock leaves readers on an pragmatic yet optimistic note saying, “We still can create a world in which participating in life online and offline is not subject to the terms and conditions of tech companies. But the longer these companies are allowed to strangle economic and social life that they don’t control, the harder it will become to escape.”
In an opinion piece published by The New York Times yesterday, digital native Alice Lassman sheds light on the unfurling relationship between AI and young people. In the piece, Lassman discusses how synthetic intimacy produced by AI use creates a slew of negative externalities. Lassman writes that “intimacy is accumulated through repeated acts of exposure– touch, feelings, ideas, trust. It is the capital of human connection, transferring the sense to one another that we are seen, understood and safe. Every time a chatbot performs a substitute ‘I understand you’ or ‘I think this decision feels most you,’ the words we have all come to rely on to convey human meaning are slightly cheapened, slightly less human.”
Lassman goes on further to illuminate the dissonant relationship between GenZ and AI. She cites recent studies that find nearly two-thirds of adolescents who use chatbots say they were searching primarily for friendship or advice, however AI use across younger generations is often considered taboo, requiring secretive or hidden engagement.
On Oprah Daily this week, Oprah sat down with SMC Advisory Board member, co-author of “The Power of Us”, professor of neuroscience and psychology, and director of the NYU Center of Conflict and Cooperation, Dr.Jay Van Bavel, to discuss the rise in incivility offline. In the discussion, Dr. Bavel unpacks how the online world facilitates chaos, incivility, and personal distress. He leaves readers with this advice– if you want to stay in the online world, you must proactively create protective bubbles around yourself. For some, this may mean turning off comments (what Oprah does) and for others it may mean becoming more comfortable with blocking and muting accounts. Engaging in these personal efforts help create a safer online world for all.
In a groundbreaking ruling out of New Mexico last week, Reuters reports that “Meta was ordered to pay $567 million into a teen mental health fund and change how its platforms function for young users after finding the company is to blame for harming children’s wellbeing.” This ruling comes after Judge Bryan Biedscheid ruled that the company had created a public nuisance in New Mexico. It is important to note that Meta was ordered to pay an additional $375 million in an earlier phase of the case after it was found in violation of consumer protection laws by “misrepresenting the safety of Facebook and Instagram for young users”. Meta has said it will appeal the ruling.
In a powerful statement from New Mexico’s Attorney General Raúl Torrez, he states that “this is not just a judgement against one company. It is a blueprint. Now other states, and other countries confronting the same crisis, have a roadmap they can follow.”
As reported by CNBC and Laura Marquez-Garrett (SMC Advisory Board member and Attorney at the Social Media Victims Law Center), the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) cleared the Senate Commerce Committee and could potentially head to the floor for a full Senate vote. CNBC importantly notes however that “multiple versions of KOSA have bounced around Congress in recent years”, and this version in particular preserves the “duty of care” provision which “requires social media platforms such as Meta, Snapchat, and TikTok to exercise reasonable care when creating and implementing design features that could harm kids.”
In her post on Linkedin, Laura Marquez-Garrett emphasizes the role that one senator in particular has played in shaping KOSA and protecting kids online; “Senator Blumenthal (D–Conn) has worked hard over the last several years to pass design-based legislation that imposes meaningful duties of care AND preserves state and consumer rights. Today he got one step closer. And no matter where things land… I hope he knows that so many families are so thankful for everything he has done”.
Curated and written by Emma Lembke and AI
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.